Last night, I rang in 2012 amongst a handful of loved ones in my parents’ cozy little country home with an awesome array of simple party food and cheap wine. It wasn’t Time Square, but then again, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. I haven’t really given much thought to any good ol’ New Year’s resolutions until now…. Of course there’s the typical I’m-going-to-lose-weight one, and this year that cliché definitely makes my list. Thanks to the perils of social networking, my mother has already posted and tagged me in all of her pictures in her “Christmas 2011” Facebook photo album. I don’t even have words to explain how I feel about seeing myself caught on film….sigh. I look like the lovechild of Rosie O’Donnell & Carnie Wilson. Now I’ve never been a fan of dieting or conventional exercise, but I’m fairly influenced by those photos that 2011 will be my last “Fat Christmas.”
The second and last resolution on my list is even more important than fitting into my skinny clothes again… I’m going to set standards… and STICK to them when it comes to dating. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t date just any guy that comes along or anything like that…. but my dating history of serious boyfriends is an interesting assortment of fellows.
bf#1: A nice guy, but he was much older than I was….. I was just getting settled into high school while he was counting down the days to his first semester of college. (I still have no clue what in the world my parents were thinking by allowing this.). We were on two different life levels and he decided to change his persona before starting anew in school.
bf#2: A sweet country boy that was…. a snoozefest. Seriously, I can’t remember anything about that relationship other than the fact that I was chronically bored.
bf#3: An eccentric guy with serious family issues. This one came complete with dragon statues, samurai swords, and a pet lizard creature.
bf#4: A slightly naive but stubborn soul that was a blast to be around…until he drank too much (at least 3x a week) and arguments and tempers flared. Plus, I think his only native languages were Bud Light and SportsCenter.
bf#5: A wonderful man who catered to my every whim. Sounds great, right? Well, we had so much in common that I might as well have been dating myself, with an added side of Star Wars geek. Creepy.
{side note - bf’s #4 & 5 are still close friends of mine that I absolutely adore and don’t know what I would do without their friendships.}
bf#6: Another boring gent who was obsessed with running and bicycling. Absolutely zilch in common.
bf#7: This one’s a real humdinger. He honestly could be the poster man-child for Peter Pan Syndrome. The only positive that came from that relationship was my daughter. Unfortunately for her, he has since decided that his role in her life is optional and at his own convenience. Because of that fact, and many more, he has earned numerous titles (i.e. Sir Douchebag, The Duke of Dumbasses, etc….ehh, I think you get my point.) in my book.
See? Granted, there are not many options in the small town that I have lived in for most of life, but for some reason I have not made the best choices for myself…Obviously. Looking back, it’s plain to see that I don’t have a strict “type” that I date; pretty much, all that my ex’s have in common are 1) they are all Caucasian and 2) they were all completely wrong for me during our relationship. All of that changes from here on out. I deserve more than what I have been allowing. More importantly, if I ever dare get serious with anyone again, my daughter deserves only quality people in her life. From this point on, my standards will be firmly in place and I will have full confidence in them. I will not waiver in my standards to accommodate someone who is not worth my time, energy, & emotions. I don’t know what 2012 has in store for me yet, but I welcome this new year with open arms and an open mind… & just maybe, by the end of this year, old Facebook photos will be forgotten and never brought to mind.
